an i.s.i.l. bottoming kills dozens at a football match in iraq as the u.s. decides to step up the fight. welcome. i'm peter dobbie. you're watching al jazeera live from doha. the other stop stories. >> can we still say that we are muslim? shouldn't we be secret about it? the worry of being a belgium muslim as police arrest and question several people. china releases a journalist linked to an online pe addition demanding the president's

resignation. -- petition demanding the president's resignation. the rolling stones rock cuba in their first ever concert there i.s.i.l. says it was behind an attack at a football stadium south of baghdad. at least 30 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up. it happened as trophies were being presented after a tournament. 100 people were reportedly injured there. just get us right up to speed here. it seems to be a particular audacious attack. >> reporter: it is, absolutely. it's the kind of attack from which i.s.i.l. has become notorious. basically it is pretty easy to infiltrate a large crowd, particularly a large happy crowd that have gathered to watch the football match and then see the trophies handed out.

it was a suicide bomber in the middle of the crowd. it is south of baghdad and it is a shia town. the reason that is important is that i.s.i.l., as it has lost gains on the battle field in the north and west of iraq, including ramadi, things have stepped up the suicide bombing to devastating effect. that is according to iraqi and american sources. as they lose territory and ability to launch large attacks to regain territory, they are focusing on the suicide bombing again to devastating effect this is a distinct change of tack on the part of i.s.i.l. because this is outside their area of control. >> reporter: essentially it is one of the main areas where they're targeting. the last big attack we saw was also in the shia area where more than 60 people were said to have been killed by a suicide bomber several weeks ago.

that was a truck packed with explosives. what they're trying to do is what they've been trying to do all along, which is restart the secretary tear tearian-- sectarian war, which they're doing by attacking normal people in the hope that there will be retaliation and the cycle of sectarian conflict will start all over again. the other thing is that iraq security resources are really out there on the battle field and increasingly here in baghdad with protests around here. they've deployed soldiers from out in the battle field to protect the green zone, government officials and foreign officials that live in the green zone the army, their line has been for the past few months, we are winning strategic victories north of baghdad. people are talking about mosul as well. you've touched on that. when it comes to this attack,

football stadium attack, difficult for the government forces not to appear is if they're caught out regardless of what they do or how they react to this. it is a soft target, very difficult to police that and keep people safe and secure. >> reporter: absolutely. the key to these sort of attacks has been to get the intelligence that you need before the attack starts just as it is in the attack tdz we're seeing in the western capital and that is something that they've had quite a lot of trouble with. apart from that, they are focusing very much on retaking territory. those large areas around ramadi, for instance, and recently around mosul. while the iraqi government has said they have started the offensive for mosul, it isn't really. they're trying to drive i.s.i.l. out of bases that they have established for coming offences. it's still a long way off, but as we can see, the iraqi forces and the fighters backing them

are very thinly stretched. there's a lot going on, not just in the battle field, but in ordinary cities that they have to protect thank you very much the u.s. says it is stepping up its troop presence in iraq. that is to retake the city of mosul as jane was just talking about. these are the latest pictures of the army's advance of a valeage close to mosul-- village close to mosul. it will be a significant advance for u.s. and peshmerga offences. the pentagon said a senior i.s.i.l. figure had been killed, this man. apparently managing the group's finances and he is said to have died during a u.s. raid in syria. i.s.i.l. is coming under great pressure in syria.

these pictures which cannot be independently identified they show the army storaging an i.s.i.l. building. palmyra fell to i.s.i.l. in may of last year. in yemen at least 25 people have been killed when three suicide bombers attacked the southern city of aden. one car bomb went off near a military check point. the other two explosions were on a road. fighters linked to i.s.i.l. have claimed responsibility. several people have been arrested in a series of police raids across brussels as part of the investigation into tuesday's bomb attacks. on thursday three arrests were made just outside the prosecutor's office in the city center in brussels. one person was deand and two

others were arrested elsewhere. one man on friday identified allows torfika was wounded in the leg and p arrested. another man was arrested. another man was shot and wounded after failing to respond to orders. while he was lying on the ground, a bomb skod checked for explosives. he is under investigation to links to another person who was arrested in paris on thursday for a foiled terror plot there. >> translation: we have had success in fighting the terrorists in brussels and paris. there have been arrests. we know there are other networks. a number of members being arrested, there is still a threat looming also more names emerging of the people killed, injured or

missing in those attacks in brussels. jacky rowland reports from one muslim school paying attribute to their teach-- tribute to their teacher who was one of the victims. >> reporter: a solemn moment of commemoration. students at this islamic school have just learned that their gym teacher was among those killed in the metro bombing. the school governors are still digesting the news. they're shocked and they're also angry. >> translation: we can't be anything about but angry and reject the beliefs of these people who claim to be muslims. there is no religion in the world that advocates killing human beings. >> reporter: she was a young mother with three sons. at school she was popular with students and teachers alike. several people we spoke to said she was like a sister.

the students have been encouraged to express themselves by drawings, postmortems and other messages. they hope this will help them come to grips with their loss. fridays prayers. muslims have been thinking about their place in belgium society and they're worried about the future. >> translation: it is natural that we are afraid of what's happening. we are part of this society. my son asked me, dad, these things that are happening, does islam permit that? i said no. religion forbids this. >> reporter: this muslim member of the brussels parliament says the actions of a few radicalized young men have over shadowed her whole community >> i hear that of my own children it's like can we still say that we are muslim? shouldn't we be secret about it

or can we say foreign words? everything that is been contaminated >> reporter: events shows that muslim are just as likely to be victims of the attacks as other members of the society. they also know that the perpetrators have hijacked their religion to justify these accounts of violence large numbers of refugees on the greek macedonian border are refusing frs offers from the government in athens to move to better accommodation. many have been stuck at a camp where they have been stuck for months. >> reporter: this time to the government in greece has been able to convince migrants and refugees to move from the camp. some are convinced that the border will not open. workers explain to them that the

evacuation is voluntary and the conditions in government-run camps are better. the majority of people are still refusing to go. they prefer to say here where they have been for weeks. for now they're blocking the railway tracks leading across the border. they're hoping their blockade will help persuade the authorities on the other side to let them in. >> translation: people came here to cross, not stay in camps, and some people have been separated from their families. i have two children in germany. what if the relocation programs sends me somewhere else? what do i do? >> reporter: the refugees are losing patience and they fear the e.u. program to relocate them across the continent will take months. we are human beings, they say, as they make an appeal to the world to end their suffering. it may take some time. >> there are some challenges in this program. it is due to logistic issues. the procession is limited, so

even the government is now scaling up. we know, for instance, that they are recruiting more people and so we know for sure that in the next days the capacity will increase. >> reporter: greece is now home to 50,000 migrants and refugees who say they feel trapped. people are confused here. there's a lot of uncertainty and the conditions are only getting worse. according to the united nations, among a population of more than 12,000 people, 4,000 are children and the tents have done little to protect them from the rain and the cold. >> reporter: this man and his family are so desperate that they say they want to go back to syria. even if it means returning to raqqa which is controlled by i.s.i.l. they have no money left. he sold all he owned to reach here. they find themselves sharing a tent with dozens of others. >> translation: going back to syria is better than staying here. even though our house has been destroyed and we sold everying to pay for our journey. we escaped death there but here

we are dying. send us back. >> reporter: it is the latest flash point in the european refugee crisis. this was not their intended final designation the chinese writer who was part of the online petition called on the president xi jinping to resign has been released. our correspondent has more from beijing. >> reporter: a lawyer for the chinese journalist who had been missing since march 15 has confirmed that his client was released on friday night. he had been taken by police at beijing airport on march 15 just as he was about to board a flight to hong kong. it is thought that chinese security officials thought he had something to do with a letter that was published earlier this month on a news website. that letter called for chinese president to resign.

now, it also accused the chinese president of skralting power in his hands, of abandoning the principles of collective leadership and encouraging a cult of personality centred around himself. the authors of the letter, who remain anonymous, signing off only as loyal communist party members, had urged the president to resign for the future of china and its people. while he may have been released, the investigation into who is behind this letter has only intensified. a dissident living in the u.s. said police took his brother and father away on tuesday night. they live in china and he hes been able to contact them since. another news agency say four employees at the website have also been missing and out of

contact for a week now. there's-- this shows the authorities are deepingening the crackdown and these have got human rights activists in china concerned because this suggests that not only is there growing intolerance of criticism, but it seems that there is a more disturbing pattern of going after critics south korean protesters have held a demonstration against recent nuclear test and rocket launches by the north. activists released balloons carrying anti pyongyang messages. tensions have been high since the north conduct a test in january and long range rocket launch in february. prompting sanctions. lots more still to come for you here, including these stories, a metro projects that critics say will destroy parts of an historic pakistani city.

telling you why small business owners who rely on business sites for work are angry.

welcome back. you're with al jazeera. these are the top stories. i.s.i.l. says it was behind an attack in baghdad. there is footage showing the moment the bomb went off. at least 30 people were killed. in the yemen port city of aden at least 25 people have been

killed in three suicide attacks there. one car bomb went off near a military check point. there were bombs going off near the saudi-led coalition base. raids across brussels. salah abdeslam has refused to speak when questioned about the attacks. he has exercised his right to silence. afghan security services suffered a 30% increase in casualties lasted year. the u.s. has said those numbers are not sustainable, but with the taliban gaining ground, there fears that it will hit government forces even harder. a report from eastern afghanistan. >> reporter: when the americans were here, this sprawling base was called camp bright. now the afghan army calls is simply bringing aid. the u-- bringing aid-- brigade.

>> translation: if they supply us and pay attention to our air force, we could show to the world that we are brave and we did defend our country independently. it is a different picture being shown these days. behind the hills is where the americans suffered some of their heaviest casualties but the afghan are suffering more. they're up against dedicated well-armed taliban units, experts in warfare. the taliban now control more territory than at any time in the last 14 years. they don't have high-tech weaponry, relying on small arms and heavy machine guns. since the u.s. scaled down its operations, the afghan army cannot completely rely on the use of american fire power. that has a difference to its ability to take and hold territory. >> reporter: that support is no longer there to help remove the wounded from the zones and that

means chances of survival are considerably reduced. >> translation: an iud bomb exploded and we were ambushed. a soldier standing next to me was wounded. if we had air support, we could have immediately evacuated him, but we had to drag him for four kilometers. with air support he would have survived >> reporter: there was a 40% unemployment rate in afghanistan and many young man opt to enlist because there are no other options. corruption is said to be in the military. it leaves many without incentive. >> translation: a soldier should have a strong faith and physically power, but this enemy is armed to the tuth and has support from our neighboring countries including pakistan and iran. we need a powerful force with heavy ar till re, tank and force. >> reporter: the afghan forces are suffering casualties that

are unsustainable. the fish line is positive. >> translation: our soldiers are from this country and they're muslim and they know what they're doing is the right thing. to defend our people and home lands. we have to fight with everything we have. >> reporter: analysts say north the afghan army nor taliban is strong enough to win the war, but they wlooef if the u.s. was here in force it would be a different story-- believe if the u.s. the government of bangladesh is now not banning facebook and what's app. it had banned access because of security concerns. small businesses that rely on the sites for their livelihood say the bans cost them dearly. >> reporter: this man's website is an online marketplace that does most business on facebook. he said a recent government band of the social networking sites

has cost him money. >> translation: there are some fixed costs that you can't avoid unless you shut the whole business down. while facebook was down we had no sales, but we had to keep paying our employees and other costs. >> reporter: it is worth an estimated 8 million dollars a month in bangladesh. the ban now lifted hit many small businesses very hard. the government defends blocking the site. it says misinformation spread on social media led to widespread violence. after the arrest of one satirist. >> blocking the content the government tried to educate people that how they filter out the good and bad content instead of blocking everything >> reporter: industry insiders

told us of a condition that the government is putting in serious effort to control online traffic. the country's telecoms regulator has tried twice to build a system that will allow it to filter out certain contents from any website and is now making a third attempt. the government says the country's security needs outweigh the privacy and economic implications of internet use >> translation: yes. people's businesses can get hurt when sites are shut down, but when the situation calls for action like this, people have to obey the government's decision. >> reporter: facebook has rejected several requests from the government to allow it access to its user data and thousands of bangladeshis have urged the company not to comply. it is a struggle that looks said set-- looks set to continue, which means this man and others like him have a challenging

future ahead myanmar's first ever stock exchange is open for business. the ringing in the first day of trading on friday, the stock exchange was packed with investors, many of them have never traded stocks ever before. easter is mexico's biggest holiday season for tens of thousands of people. s, meaning a traditional trip to the beach. once famous for having celebrities visit, it is now very violent. >> reporter: this time armed men shot up the strip club as the bodies are carried out, the taco stand continues serving. residents have grown used to these scenes. this is just a block away from the beach. the resort town was once famous for hollywood glamour and now it

is struggling with a new reputation. gang warfare. traditionally tourists flocked to its beaches. this time they're not the only ones. the army has been called in to protect them during high season. even the arch bishop has appealed to the gangs for a truce. >> reporter: i've been asking all of those who cause violence and fear in the population to stop killing during easter. the totals and restaurants are praying for the same, but 12 people were murdered just during our 48 hour visit. gangs have been fighting for years here. firing for drug utes and then increasingly over ex-storings and kidnapping racquets-- extortion and kidnapping rack ets that have become so commonplace that the city doesn't miss a beat. you can see the party still

next-door. no official was available to speak to us, but over the last six years they've sent in waves of police and military to deal with eechl outbreak of violence, but the gangs always come back, leaving this man desperate for a solution that works. his restaurant is empty and this is common. >> translation: they are telling you, you have to pay protection money or they burn your business or they kill you and your family. the majority of the people just run for it and leave town. >> reporter: extortion is affecting beach vendors two. eight have been killed in the last three months, this one next to a group of canadian visitors. the violence is creeping closer to the tourists who are the life blood of a struggling town the veteran rock group rolling stones have performed to tens of thousands of fans in

havana. for decades the music was banned. the concert was seen as another sign of change coming after i few days after obama's historic visit. >> reporter: it was a concert many cubans had been waiting for, for almost hassle a century. the legendry rolling stones in a performance like none this country has ever seen. entire families, three generations, even four, enjoyed a free concert implements of the british band which has been around almost as long as the cuban revolution. >> translation: i love it. they're an epic band and i couldn't miss this said 13-year-old. from early afternoon people began pouring into the open air sports center. the news of this concert has spread like wild fire. people are coming not only from

all over cuba but from the americas and beyond. fans want to say that they saw history being made when they saw the rolling stones in cuba. people like this irish couple >> it is a changing time for cuba and it's the mark of that change maybe. >> reporter: this man says it makes him feel proud. >> translation: when i was young listening to the beetles and others, it was forbidden. we had to listen to them in secret in the 60s and 70s >> reporter: the concert is a powerful cultural sign that times are changing in communist cuba >> it shows there's an opening of cuba to the world. it follows the obama visit just by a couple of days. so this week is hugely significant and very exciting. >> reporter: so it was that this historic week was wrapped up by a once banned rock band, leaving millions here with a sense that cuba is no longer off the

circuit, no longer so isolated > do checkout the website that's always there for you. aljazeera.com. you can get everying there. >> i'm sylvia rowley in the south of england where support for small scale sustainable fishing is catching on. >> and i'm russell beard in bangkok to meat a team innovative urban farmers turning air polution inro